The internet makes it possible for everybody to be a critic – often and loudly.  But useful criticism must be thoughtful and balanced.

In advanced level composition courses, students critique each others work.  Writers draft out thoughtful, creative pieces, then need responses.

I took a creative writing class where this process imploded.  The instructor failed to set guidelines for the tone of the responses, and a few students ripped work with virulent remarks.  Hurt writers returned the treatment, and the class descended into a cycle of bitterness and discouragement.

Another class I took was the exact opposite.  In this class, the instructor set one simple guideline:  every critique had to start with a positive remark.  First, tell us what you liked about the piece.

The result was a balanced tone that encouraged effort and offered thoughtful criticism.  Writing skills improved as people learned what worked – and what didn’t – in their prose style.

Professional critics learn the concept of balance.  A virulent piece comes across as petty and biased.  Nothing is gained through insults, and personal attacks undermine the review because they’re obviously subjective.

Unfortunately, internet criticism is much more like the first writing class.  People with no training in criticism or idea development go on rants every time they feel they got ripped-off.

Others are the opposite:  they fill reviews platforms with glowing positivity so general the comments could be about anything.

Online platforms make it easy for people to publish these reviews.  They do nothing to ensure they’re balanced, fair, or useful.

So here is a suggestion for writing online reviews:

Start with something you liked.  There’s surly something that was decent – note that first.

Then, comment on issues with constructive criticism.  Avoid petty virulence, as this makes you sound like a hack with a view so biased it’s not worth listening to.

When giving a positive review, be specific.  Comments on how “great” something is with no details don’t help others make buying decisions.

Poor criticism is knee-jerk and easy to do – but rarely worth reading.

Balanced criticism is thoughtful – and requires more effort to create.  No doubt online review content would be far more useful – for consumers and businesses both – if we’d take the time to balance our views.